Oklahoma Spirit Helps Weather Winter Storm

Posted by State Rep. Mike Sanders40sc on March 08, 2013

By State Rep. Mike Sanders

Oklahomans face an annual barrage of severe weather, but we always seem to push on.

After such a dry winter, it seemed like we were going to escape this year. Instead, a late February winter storm left Oklahoma with a state of emergency declared in 56 counties. Fortunately, we had numerous individuals who pushed to help residents recover during this difficult storm.

Among those public employees who made the storm more tolerable were the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, municipal law enforcement and fire departments, municipal officials and county crews. I am also grateful for the hard work of those associated with the Farmers Electric Cooperative, Cimarron Electric Cooperative, OG&E and the Northwestern Electric Cooperative. I want to thank each and every individual who played a role in the storm recovery efforts.

I think, more than anything, the Oklahoma spirit helped get us through the storm that swept through the state. Despite the weather, we were blessed to receive the much-needed moisture it brought.

At the Oklahoma State Capitol, lawmakers have a break from committee work and are now busy debating legislation on the House floor. Some of the major bills that remain alive include two workers’ compensation reform bills, three income tax cut bills and a measure that would create a state question asking voters to decide whether or not to approve a $200 million bond issue to repair the Capitol building.

I would like to end by mentioning an opportunity for all blind and visually-impaired students planning to attend a college or university this coming fall. The National Federation of the Blind is now accepting applications to their national scholarship program. Thirty top students will receive scholarships, ranging in value from $3,000 to $12,000, and a fully-paid trip to the organization’s national convention in Orlando. Applications must be received by March 31, 2013. For more information or to apply, visit www.nfb.org/scholarships.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at (405) 557-7407 or email me at mike.sanders@okhouse.gov.